Chinese President Hu Jintao urged local governments to ensure stable food prices and supply of major farm produce on Sunday.

Chinese President Hu Jintao (3rd R) meets with deputies to the First Session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) from east China's Shandong Province in Beijing, capital of China, March 9, 2008.

Hu's remarks came after the country's consumer price index (CPI) scored 4.8 percent last year and an 11-year-high of 7.1 percent in January this year, triggering inflation fears.

"We must ensure stable production and prices of 'vegetable basket' products (nonstaple food) for urban and rural consumers," Hu said, speaking at a panel discussion of the delegation of Shandong Province at the ongoing annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's parliament.

The president also accentuated the significance of changing the modes of economic development to promote a sound and rapid development.

Senior leaders including Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang also joined panel discussions of different delegations on Saturday.